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. 2013 Jul 23;8(7):e66728.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066728. Print 2013.

Sex and breed-dependent organ development and metabolic responses in foetuses from lean and obese/leptin resistant swine

Laura Torres-Rovira  1 , Anne Tarrade, Susana Astiz, Eve Mourier, Mariluz Perez-Solana, Paloma de la Cruz, Ernesto Gomez-Fidalgo, Raul Sanchez-Sanchez, Pascale Chavatte-Palmer, Antonio Gonzalez-Bulnes
Affiliations

Sex and breed-dependent organ development and metabolic responses in foetuses from lean and obese/leptin resistant swine

Laura Torres-Rovira et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine the effects of breed and sex on growth patterns and metabolic features of advanced-pregnancy foetuses exposed to the same environmental conditions. Thus, at Day 62 of pregnancy, swine foetuses from an obese breed with leptin resistance (Iberian breed) were compared to lean crossbred foetuses (25% Large White ×25% Landrace ×50% Pietrain). There were differential developmental patterns in foetuses with leptin resistance, mainly a higher relative weight of the brain resembling "brain-sparing effect". Prioritization of brain growth may be protective for the adequate growth and postnatal survival of the Iberian individuals, an ancient breed reared in extensive semi-feral conditions for centuries. There were also clear sex-related differences in foetal development and metabolism in the Iberian breed. Female Iberian foetuses were similar in size and weight to male littermates but had a significantly higher relative liver to body weight ratio resembling "liver-sparing effect" and a trend for a higher relative intestine to body ratio. Moreover, the availability of triglycerides, cholesterol and IL-6 in female Iberian foetuses was similar to that of lean crossbred foetuses. Overall, these features may favour a better postnatal survival and development of females, the sex more critical for the species survival. These findings set the basis for future translational studies aimed at increasing the knowledge on the interaction between genetic and environmental factors in the early programming of the adult phenotype.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist, excepting that the co-author Pascale Chavatte-Palmer is a PLOS ONE Editorial Board member. However, this does not alter the authors' adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Effects of breed on the relative development of foetuses and their organs.
Mean ± S.E.M. ratios of head weight to total body weight (A), of individual weight of selected organs to total body weight (B) and of brain weight to the weights of total viscera and selected organs (C) in Iberian purebred (black bars) and lean crossbreed foetuses (white bars). Asterisk indicate significant differences between breeds (* = p<0.05, ** = p<0.01, *** = p<0.005, **** = p<0.001, ***** = p<0.0005).
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The collaborative work between INIA and INRA groups was supported by GEMINI COST ACTION FA0702 (STSM). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.